The Relocation Committee Stays With Sacramento

The NBA’s Relocation Committee reaffirmed it’s commitment to the City of Sacramento today, and stayed with its 7-0 Vote to deny the relocation to Seattle. This announcement has come on the heals of the leak that said the Maloofs and Hansen had agreed to a back-up offer for 20% of the Kings if the NBA rejects Hansen and Ballmer’s ownership group. It is even more clear that the Maloofs are going to go way out of their way to spite Sacramento, and piss off David Stern.

It is also clear, that the NBA doesn’t give a shit about what the Maloofs and is going to do what the owners see as the best course for the League; and what they apparently feel is that a slightly larger public subsidy ($58 million larger than Seattle’s) and a City that has (in the past) bent over backwards for the league is a better choice than a City that had its State Legislature determine the fate of its previous NBA franchise.

Well, okay…I greatly oversimplified that last part. The NBA values stability over everything else; that is why David Stern fought to keep the Hornets/Pelicans in New Orleans, the Kings in Sacramento, the Bobcats in Charlotte, and the Sonics in Seattle in 2004 and through the early portion of 2005 (eventually keeping Howard Schultz in the league became all but impossible, and the Sonics fate ended up in his hands).

That is why the Kings are staying in Sacramento, it has nothing to do with a Seattle market that is starting to bloom; a potential heap to be made from a local television, or a Fan Base that is growing irate with a Commissioner who they perceive as to hate the City they live in. The Kings are staying in Sacramento because the City has been willing to do what ever it takes to keep the team, and that includes pushing a globalization angle with their potential lead owner being from the Sub-continent (India).

Hansen consistently upping his bid and making back-up offers isn’t going to change the NBA’s decision-making process, now or ever. Especially since the $100 million he has upped his initial valuation can be tossed aside as inflation; and that appears to be exactly what the NBA is doing. It seems like they are using the initial $525 million valuation ($341 million bid) as the bench mark. They must think that his first valuation is going to drastically boost the rest of the team’s valuations throughout the league, and anything else is just an attempt to force the league into doing what he wants.

Personally, I feel like Hansen’s willingness to through around money makes his case for buying the Kings weaker; while increasing the argument for expansion. After all, if he is willing to through around $409 million for the Kings…how much might the Bucks be worth? The Bobcats? An expansion team with no previous baggage (player contracts)?